BRUTAL BUTCHERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 October 1941, Page 5

BRUTAL BUTCHERY

VICTIMS MADE TO DIG COMMON GRAVE MURDER BY TENS FOLLOWS. EVEN FAREWELL MESSAGES PROHIBITED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 25. No workers went down into the coalpits in northern France on October 23, the day following the execution of the first 50 hostages for the killing of the German commander of the Nantes district, Lieutenant-Colonel Holtz, says the “Daily Mail’s” correspondent on the French frontier. He states that all textile, iron and steel factories are idle, and the Renault and Citroen employees have struck. Never has France been so aroused. All the horrors which are associated with Nazi concentration camp murders were reproduced at Nantes at dawn on October 22, the correspondent says, revealing details of the manner in which the 50 hostages were executed. Those condemned were marched out under a heavy guard and formed up in a double line. They were made to dig a long, deep trench as a communal grave for themselves. Neither priest nor chaplain was allowed the condemned in their last hour, and they were: even forbidden to write farewell messages to their families.

Some of the hostages protested to the last and refused to leave the cells, but the German police drove the' protestors to the wall with rifle butts and truncheons. When the two ranks formed an officer barked out an order, whereupon 10 of the men were marched to the wall. Another order was given, a volley followed and the, 10 fell.

By tens the butchery was repeated, till even the nerves of the firing squad were affected.

VICHY SERVILITY.

The Petain Cabinet has approved a severe measure for the suppression of attacks against German soldiers, says a Vichy message. The Government is appealing to Germany to halt the reprisals, and Admiral Darlan reported that Marshal Petain’s efforts “to end the tragic reprisals” have resulted in the Reich Chancellor granting a, reprieve. The emergency law referred to provides for drastic punishment of the eye-witnesses, accomplices and those with information about the acts against the German occupation au-

thorities who fail to inform the authorities.

The measure is intended to break the public silence, which protects the patriots in spite of the offer of.large rewards.